Mortising template



March 1954 J. H. GODFREY MORTISING TEMPLATE Filed April 19. 1950 ZSheets-Sheet 1 JAMES H GODFREY March 1954 J. H. GODFREY 2,670,546

MORTISING TEMPLATE Filed April 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 W0 MM JA MES H GODFREY Patented Mar. 2, 1954 ES F Janics H-i Godfrey, Berlin, Connuasslgnor: to: The

stanley works New Britain xfl'o'nni,.a;.corporastionotconnecticut Application Aprill'Q, 1950; serialNo. 156,909.

1: Claim. (Cl. 33.-197)E This invention relates to improvements in a mortising'template; and more particularly toa mortising" template" for use witha router while forming companion orcomplementary hinge receiving" recesses in the edge of adoor and the face of" a door jam-b;

Mortis-ing templates'for' the foregoing purposes usually have two" or three guide" frames for positioningand guiding a routerwhile forming hinge recesses; said framesbeing; interconnected by suitable-adjustable stripsso thatthe guide frames may be spaced apart even distances from the opposite ends of a door or-doorjamb. The distances the frames are spaced apart must be accuratelymeasured so as to beexactly even due to the fact that when theinterc'onnected guide frames comprising: the template are used for forming hinge" receiving'recessesin a door jamb, the assembled frames are positioned longitudinally along adoor j amb and, for example, accuratel'yspaced from the-top of thejamb; The same assembled guide frames are also used to form complementary or companion hingereceiving recesses m oneedge of a doorbut the template-must bet-urned' end -for-end and accurately positioned relative to the topoi" the door when forming such recesses inthe door. Arranging the guide frames of the assembled template in such accuratelyspaced position is time consuming and" therefore renders the cost of forming hingereceiving' recesses in a door and doorjamb more expensive than if such precisely accurate measurements were not required. Further; such templates are relatively complex" and expensive order to' provide" positioning means which are adi'ustable to accommodate'the template to doors and jambs of different sizes and designs.

It is' an objector the presentinventionto provide a mortising template comprising a plurality of guide frames for a router, said guide frames being provided with a plurality of simple positioning means for alternately engaging a door or jamb so astoenable the template tobe used on both a door jamb and the: edge: of adoor without requiring the templ'ate to-be turned endfor-end when shifting the template from use. on the edge of a door'to use 0111a doorjamb or. vice versa and: consequentlyinot' requiring as precise adjustment of; the frames: relative: to each other as; in. presently: used templates:

It is another object of the inventionto arrange thesimple positioningmeans for the guide frames of. a template. of the type describedv so, as. automatically to vary the width of the complementary or companion recesses in the edge of the door and a door jamb, whereby clearance will bepro- 2; vided between the door and" j ambstop when=- the hinges are mounted inoperative position within the recesses formed therefor inthe edge of the door and door jamb.

A further object of the invention istoprov id'e positioning means on the template which-are of such nature as to be engageable with a. door-'or door j'amb soithat the'template may be accuratealypositioned thereon". regardless or whethenthe door edges are rounded or'squaredor whether.

the edge of the Jamie is rounded, squared; or ornamentedby some other shapez Still another object ot the invention isztoiprovide a mortising template. of: theitype described which is rugged and durablezandiof..simplen'conr structi'on than those presently in. use.

Details of these. objects. and: of: the invention; aswell as other objects thereof arezset fortlrin the following specification and: illustrated in the accompanying drawings; forming; a part thereofi.

In. the drawings 1' Fig. l is a plan view, partially foreshortened, of a mortising templateembodying. the principles of the present invention and. shown inoperative position against a door: jambl Fig. 2 is: an end viewlooking from-the upper end. of the: template shown inFig. 1.

Fig.3 isasectional view ofthe templatetaken on line 3--3 ofFig. 1

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of. the template taken on line 4--4 of.Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentarysectionaLv-iewshowing the template in position. againsta door jamhand illustrating in broken. lines a router during. the operation of forming ahinge receiving recess in the face. of. the. door jamb.

Fig. 6 is a view similartdFig. 5 but showing the template operative position. against. the edge of a door while-the router. is. usedtoform ahinge receivingrecess in said edge.

Referring to the drawings and. particularly Fig. l, the template in. comprisesaplurality of guide frames. l2 which are. connected. together for adjustable positioning relative. to each other longitudinallyof. the. axes of. said. frames. by a plurality of plates M whichare. each. adjustably connectibleto one end of one. of. the frames- 1. 2 by screws IS. The screws ifi passrthroughslots it in the plates [:4 and thereby limit the longitudinal. movement of said; plates. As is customary in' templates: of. this: nature; theplates. M are interconnected by a. plurality Of'.lii-1'J1&li6'S-l2fl to providefor greater longitudinaladjustability their outermost positions.

are adjustable longitudinally. Bolts and thumb nuts 24 extend through aligned slots in plates 20 and 22 to maintain desired adjustable connection.

End plates 26 extend longitudinally from the other ends of the frames l2 and are adjustable relatively thereto by screws 28 extending through slots in the plates 26. The uppermost end plate 26, as viewed in Fig. 1, also has an adjustable gage plate 30 slidably connected to said end plate 26 and the upper end of the uppermost frame [2, adjustment being maintained by a screw 32. The outer end of the gage plate 38 is used to engage either the top plate of a door jamb or be placed evenly with the end surface of a door so as to accurately position the template i longitudinally of the door jamb or edge of a door.

It is also to be understood that, as in conventional templates of this nature, more than two guide frames I2 may be included in the template assembly by suitably arranging the length of the plates 20 and 22 to permit connection of one or more additional guide frames to the template assembly in accordance with conventional practice. The template is also provided with a plurality of sockets 34 in which positioning nails or brads 36 are slidably mounted so that the same may be driven into the edge of a door or the face of a door jamb accurately to hold the template [0 in operative position thereon while a router is being guided by the frames (2.

The guide frames 12 each comprise a pair of parallel side rails 38 and 40 having fiat router engaging surfaces -12 and 44 disposed in a common plane. The frames :2 also have lateral end portions 46 which connect together the side rails 38 and 40. Said side rails and lateral end portions define rectangular openings #18 within which a router bit is received for forming a hinge re ceiving recess in either the door jamb or edge of a door. The length of the openings 48 is adjustable by moving the plates i4 and 25 relative to the frame 12, said plates having guide edges 50 and 52 which extend slightly beyond the inner ends of the lateral end portions 46 of the frames 12 when the plates 14 and 26 are extended to The guide edges 50 and 52 comprise surfaces against which a bit sleeve 54 of a router 56 engage when forming the ends of the hinge receiving recess 58 in the door jamb 60 or the recess 62 in the edge of the door 64. The screws I6 and 28 are tightened to secure the guide edges 50 and 52 in their respective positions. The operative face 66 of the router 56 slidably abuts the flat upper surfaces 42 as of the side rails 38 and it, as shown in Figs. and 6 when the router is operatively positioned relative to the guide frames 12.

Each of the frames i2 is also provided with a plurality of work engaging shoes 68 which are connected to the lateral end portions 46 of each frame by the screws [6 and 28, said screws being threaded into said shoes, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The outermost or lower surfaces of the shoes 68, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6, are disposed against the surface of the door jamb 60 when recesses are being formed therein, or against the edge of the door 64 when recesses are being formed in said door.

In accordance with the present invention, when the template I0 is used to form hinge receiving recesses 58 in the door jamb E8. the external lateral faces it of the side rails 38 of the frames are disposed in abutting position against the jamb stop 12 on the door jamb 60 as illustrated in Fi 5. In the event the door jamb does not come equipped from the mill with a stop 12, said stop can easily be either temporarily or per- I manently attached to the door jamb prior to using the template [0, or as an alternative, suitable blocks may be temporarily afiixed to the door jamb 60 along the line of the jamb stop 12 so as to permit positioning of the frames l2 of the template along said line of the jamb stop. The lower edge '14 of the side rail 38 is above the work engaging surfaces of the shoes 63, whereby said lower edge 74 does not engage the door jamb 69, as can be clearly seen from Fig. 5.

The template i0 is accurately positioned longitudinally of the door jamb 66 by suitably adjusting the gage plate 30 and abutting the outer end thereof against the top 16 of the door jamb. The positioning nails or brads may then temporarily be driven into the door jamb to hold the template 1 ll in operative position against the jamb. The router 56 is then positioned against the flat upper surfaces 42 and 44 of one of the frames 12 and the bit sleev 54 is moved into engagement with the guide edges 50 and 52 and the inner surface '18 of the guide rail 38. The bit of the router 56 rotates within the sleeve 54 and extends below the Work engaging surfaces of the shoes 68 a distance equal to th desired depth of the hinge receiving recesses 58 in the door jamb 59 when the router is positioned against the fiat upper surfaces 42 and 44 of the guide rails of the frames I2. The distance between the parallel surfaces 10 and 78 of the guide rail 38 is predetermined so that the distance between the inner edge of the reces 58 will be spaced a desired predetermined distance from the adjacent parallel surface of the jamb stop 12. The hinge receiving recesses 58 in the door jamb ar all routed out by the router 56 being moved relative to the guide rail 38 and guide edges 50 and 52 of the frames 12 of the template and the template is then removed from the door jamb.

Following the completion of the formation of the hinge receiving recesses of the door jamb the template I0 is placed against the insid edge of the door 64, the work engaging surfaces of the shoes 68 being placed directly against said inside surface. The gage plate 39 is accurately positioned evenly with the upper end of the door 64. In order that the template l0 may be accurately positioned transversely of said edge of the door 64, the side rail 40 is provided with a flange 82 depending below the work engaging surfaces of the shoes 68 and having an inner surface en gageable with the inner surface 84 of the door 64. The nails or brads 36 are then temporarily driven into the edge of the door to hold the template It in operative position thereon. The

rail 40 is also predetermined and is slightly less than the distance between the surfaces 10 and 18 of the side rail 38. Thus, the side walls of the cavities 62 in the door 64 will be closer to the surface 84 of the door than the sides of the rejcesses 58 in the door jamb 60 are to the inner ,surfaces of the jamb stop 12, whereby when hinges are secured within the recesses 58 and 62 and the door is thereby connected to the door jamb, there will be adequate clearance between the irmer surface 84 of the door and the inner surface of the jamb stop 12. After all of the cavities 62 have been formed in the inside edge of the door 54,. the template is removed therefrom and the hinges may be connected to the door and jamb.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides a mortising template which may be simply and conveniently attached to a door jamb by abutting the external lateral surfaces of the template guide frames against the jamb stop so as accurately to position said guide frames in a lateral direction with respect to the door jamb. Also, said template may conveniently be positioned against the inside edge of a door and the inner surface of the depending flange on each guide frame is positioned in abutting engagement against the inside surface of the door so as to position the template relative to the door in a direction transversely thereto. The template is not reversed end-for-end when being positioned on a door or a jamb or vice versa, as is now necessary when using conventional templates for forming recesses in doors and jambs.

Further, the template comprising the present invention may conveniently and accurately be positioned on doors and jambs regardless of the surface conditions of the outside edges of the door and jamb. For example, while some doors are mounted flush with the jamb and both are square-edged, other doors are mounted below flush with the jamb and the edges are rounded. In still other conditions, the jamb edges may be rounded or even heavily ornamented so as to render them highly unsuitable for accurately positioning a template relative to such outer edge of the jamb. Further, in addition to the template comprising the present invention being rugged and durable, it is also materially simpler than templates presently in use.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferred embodiments and has included certain details, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

1 claim as my invention:

A template comprising an open frame having parallel side rails spaced apart by transverse end portions, said end portions having shoes facing in one direction for engaging against the edge of a door or the face of a door jamb, said side rails having parallel edges facing in the opposite direction for supporting a router and having confronting parallel inner side faces for guiding a router bit sleeve, one of said side rails having an outer side face parallel to its inner side face and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom for abutting against a jamb stop, and the other side rail having a flange extending in said one direction beyond the work engaging shoes for engagement with the side of a door, said flange having an inner side face parallel to and spaced at slightly less than said predetermined distance from the inner side face of said other side rail.

JAMES H. GODFREY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,524,234 Carter Jan. 2'7, 1925 1,644,666 Carter Oct. 11, 1927 1,740,473 Meyer Dec. 24, 1929 1,788,256 Sherwin Jan. 6, 1931 

